Bigotry Determined Webster’s New
World Dictionary defines “bigot” as “a person who holds blindly and
intolerantly to a particular creed, opinion, etc.” and “bigotry” as “the
behavior, attitude, or beliefs of a bigot.”

Police State Thomas Kachadurian’s column might get the facts right but misses the story.

Oppose The Shell Game Is this a
Shell Game? As a Democrat, I support increased taxes on motor fuels and
vehicles to provide funding for our transportation infrastructure.

Sugars On The Way Senator Patrick
Colbeck from Canton introduced a bill and the Senate passed it allowing
schools and Girl & Boy Scout troops to have up to 3 bake sales per
week.

Health hazards of a desk jockey

Health Hazards of a Desk Jockey: Sitting at a desk all day is hell on your bodyBy Erin CrowellHuman beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computerscreens all day.  from the 1999 film Office Space

If you work at a desk, chances are, you had to work hard to get there your days as a pre-teen dishwasher are as far behind as your collegetuition payments. This is the culmination of years of education andplanning. Perhaps this desk is mahogany or theres a sleek Mac at yourfingertips, along with an expensive office chair from eBay that is ascomfortable as a cradle.Youve made it  and now that desk is your home. Eight hours a day. Fivedays a week. 260 days a year.All that time staring at a computer screen and sitting on your rump addsup  and, while quite the opposite from skydiving or bull riding,scientists say the life of a desk jockey is also hazardous to the health.Research shows that prolonged time at your desk can lead to a slew ofhealth issues such as computer vision syndrome, increased risk for type 2diabetes, arthritis and even a larger waistline.

IN THE SADDLEAccording to a recent study published by the American Journal ofEpidemiology, prolonged inactivity, such as sitting, increases your riskfor developing type 2 diabetes by seven percent. Other serious healthproblems include a higher level of triglycerides, higher blood pressure,increased body inflammation and lower levels of good cholesterol.A New York Times article published last July explored the physiologicaleffects of prolonged sitting, reporting that if you sit for longhours your muscles, unused for hours at a time, change in subtle fashion,and as a result, your risk for heart disease, diabetes and other diseasescan rise.But what about your daily workout? That must lower your risk, right?Wrong.The article also stated that Regular workout sessions do not appear tofully undo the effects of prolonged sitting. There seem to be differentpathways involved in the beneficial physiological effects of exercisingand the deleterious impacts of sitting, says Tatiana Warren, a graduatestudent in exercise science at the University of South Carolina.Aside from a sluggish metabolism and changes in your muscles physiology,sitting also wreaks havoc on your posture.During office chair sitting, the hamstring muscles are inactive, and areheld at a shortened length, according to the American Journal of PhysicalMedicine. Tight hamstrings are associated with back pain. The reason isthat tight hamstrings stop the hips from flexing during forward bending.That forces the lower back to bend beyond its strong middle range.A lot of people will come into the office with issues from competitivestress related to their occupation, says Dr. Bradley Schiller of Back onTrack Chiropractic in Traverse City.For those working at a desk, Schiller says the most common stress is fromgorilla posture.Shoulders roll in, the head goes forward unless youre doing something tocounteract that position, your body becomes accustomed to that position,he says.Schiller recommends a stretch that can be done right in the office.In a doorway, place both hands on either side of the doorway and walkforward, bringing your head back and chest forward. This helps counterthat gorilla posture at the desk.He also recommends replacing the office chair with a balance ball to helpimprove posture  its a seating option Hagerty Insurance of Traverse Cityprovides to its employees.Employees have the option of sitting on exercise balls instead ofchairs, said Susan Vigland, Hagerty training & wellness manager. Hagertyprovides balls in various sizes. Its great for toning the core andencourages more movement than a regular office chair.The company also runs a two-week 10k step challenge to encourage employeesto take as many steps throughout their workday as possible.

EYE DONT SEE YOUIf you work at a desk, chances are theres a computer in your face.Because of this, youll begin to see another problem, literally.The American Optometric Association (AOA) has categorized this problem ascomputer vision syndrome (CVS), which is characterized by visual symptomsresulting from interaction with a computer display or its environment. TheAssociation highlights studies that indicate visual symptoms occur in 50%to 90% of video display terminal workers.Symptoms include eye strain (blurred distant vision), fatigue (dry orirritated eyes), headache (neck and/or backaches) and blurred near vision(or double vision).Desk jockeys arent the only ones at risk for developing vision problemsyouth ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day in frontof a computer, smart phone or television screen, according to a January2010 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation  thats more than 52 hours aweek.So how do you save your vision if your job depends on using a computer?Drs. Mark Noss and Rebekah Noss Lynch of Full Spectrum Eyecare in TraverseCity offer their patients several steps for relieving CVS, which include:A comprehensive eye exam, proper lighting, minimizing glare (reflectivesurfaces in the work space), using upgraded displays (such as flat-panelLCD), adjusting computer screen brightness/contrast, blinking morefrequently (which keeps the eyes wet), taking frequent breaks and doingeye exercises.Still want to be able to see the football scoreboard by the time your sonis playing college ball? Try looking away from your computer at leastevery 20 minutes and study an object that is at least 20 feet away (likethe bubbles gurgling in the office water cooler) and do so for at least 20seconds.Drs. Noss and Lynch call this the 20-20-20 rule.The overall message is, if you work a desk job, take a break  whetherits doing laps around the copy room, taking a moment to stand while onthe phone or eyeing the new hire across the hall, doing so will help easethe burden on your body, as well as on your mind.

Sans Seat

By Erin Crowell

I entered the world of desk jockeying when I started my job at theNorthern Express in late 2008. Having spent a majority of my life on myfeet, for previous work and recreation, I wasnt used to sitting for longperiods of time.Boy, has that changed.While I spend some time out of the office talking to sources for articles,I still spend a good six to eight hours at my desk  chained, you couldsay (no offense, boss).After reading the articles, listening to health professionals and findingmyself preferring to sit all the time (I once perched myself on ourkitchen counter after just five minutes of conversing with company), Imade the decision to do something about it.If you find it hard to remember to get up from your desk every so often,why not take the sitting portion completely out of the equation?

DO-IT-YOURSELFAdjustable desks, which allow you to sit or stand throughout the workday,can cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000  not exactly in my budget. So, Idid some measurements, went to Home Depot and told a helpfuland verypatientassociate what I was looking for.He cut my dimensions from a 4x8 melamine particle boardwhich costs justover $30and sent me on my way with two corner braces and a box of screws.Under an hour of work later, I had a wood platform that would house mycomputer monitor, keyboard and mouse  all for under $40.I now stand at my computer, allowing myself to sit for lunch or whenproofing pages for the newspaper. At first, it was difficult to stand forlong periods of time; but having been at it for over a month now, Ivenoticed I will even eat my lunch and proof pages while standing. Awayfrom the office, I now prefer to stand instead of sit.Standing converts, as well as health experts, claim there are severalbenefits to standing at work, including: Improved focus Higher level of activity (you take more steps if already standing,versus having to get up from a sitting position) Higher calorie burn and muscle engagement (it takes more energy to standthan sit) Decreased fatigue Better postureFor myself, I feel more awake throughout the day and have eliminated thehabit of slouching. I feel less distracted, but at the same time, am morewilling to walk across the room to talk to a co-worker versus sending anemail. As far as calorie burn goes, Id like to think my hips areshrinking  wishful thinking, of course.So what is the only downfall to standing at work?Nothing offsets a nice, professional outfit like a pair of tennis shoes.